Search Results (2,922)

This article addresses the theological implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the broader Catholic theology of technology. The emergence of AI challenges the traditional theological accounts of technicity and human action and demands a renewed reflection capable of engaging current technological developments and transformations. The study first examines artificial intelligence through the point of view of postphenomenology, highlighting the mediating role of technology in human perception, agency, and world-formation. It then revisits the theological concept of the imago Dei, central to Christian reflections on human activity and technology, by placing in dialogue different theological interpretations of the image of God and their anthropological implications. Offering a brief bibliographic and interdisciplinary review, the article analyses how current debates on AI and the imago Dei reshape questions concerning human uniqueness, creativity, embodiment, and moral responsibility. A renewed theological interpretation of the image of God, integrated with contemporary philosophies of technology, offers valuable insights into the nature of human action and human nature within technologically mediated contexts. The article concludes that Catholic theology can contribute a distinctive and critically constructive perspective to current discussions on artificial intelligence by articulating a more dynamic and relational understanding of humanity, human activity and technological mediation. Full article

This article examines the orientation that emerges during worship in the Abrahamic religions through the interrelation of bodily experience and architectural space. Drawing jointly on Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of the “lived body” and Mircea Eliade’s theory of sacred space, the study discusses how the directionality of worship in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam produces distinct spatial theologies. Methodologically, the research is based on a hermeneutic reading of selected sacred texts, rabbinic and liturgical sources, and on a comparative analysis of synagogue, church, and mosque spaces according to the criteria of orientation, architectural focus, bodily posture, congregational alignment, light, axis, threshold, and ritual surface. The proposed tripartite schema distinguishes between the horizontal covenantal orientation toward Jerusalem in Judaism, the vertical/transcendent axis associated with the cross, resurrection, and ascension in Christianity, and the downward orientation intensified around prostration in Islam. These orientations are not merely ritual prescriptions; rather, they constitute intentional structures through which the body is situated in relation to God, others, and the world. In the synagogue, the Torah ark and the direction of Jerusalem; in the church, the apse, cross, and luminous order; and in the mosque, the qibla wall, the alignment of prayer rows, and the surface of prostration are examined as architectural foci that materialize these intentional structures. The study brings together three domains that are often treated separately in literature: the phenomenology of religion, Eliadean cosmology, and architectural spatial analysis. In doing so, it proposes a comparative model of “spatial theology” among the Abrahamic traditions, articulated through the relationship between body, text, and worship structures. Ultimately, sacred space is interpreted as a dynamic order that is reconstituted in every act of worship through the convergence of bodily orientation, historical memory, and cosmic reference. Full article

The contemporary concept of human interpersonal forgiveness presupposed by Catholic believers is challenged, both in academia and in popular culture. The core of the problem is the real possibility and coherence of its gratuitousness: forgiving seems to be always vitiated by the forgiver’s self-seeking motives and thus morally impaired. But Thomas Aquinas’s thought offers sufficient conceptual elements to dispel the charge. Although he addresses such forgiveness relatively rarely, his later works consider it a spiritual work of mercy, and therefore an act of the virtues of mercy and charity. In order to defend the notion’s gratuitousness (from Aquinas’s Latin term gratuitus—that is, the characteristic of the unselfish and undue gift), it is necessary to have a full understanding of his notion of the love of friendship and how this love shapes mercy and charity. This holds true on both the supernatural and natural levels, even if, following original sin, the natural level requires divine grace to fully escape the charge of lacking true gratuitousness. To resolve this question, this article demonstrates the coherence of gratuitous forgiveness regarding both the intention of the human agent and the essence of forgiveness itself. Its coherence depends on that of gratuitousness and, consequently, of charity. First, this study outlines the core of contemporary skepticism, drawing upon the thought of Jacques Derrida as its primary exemplar. Second, it proposes a solution by reconstructing Aquinas’s account, situating it within the love of friendship, mercy, and charity, and demonstrating why its intention and structure are coherently gratuitous. Several of the textual interpretations advanced here remain subject to scholarly debate. Finally, before concluding, this paper addresses a major objection to human gratuitousness: namely, that a gratuitous act, as described by Aquinas, could not be performed by a human person, insofar as human agents are finite and inherently profit from their own morally good actions. To resolve this, a metaphysical argument grounded in analogy is proposed. Full article

In Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, diaconal actors have been pioneers in social and health work. By applying complexity theory on managing unpredictability, the article reviews recent pioneering efforts: caring for undocumented migrants—whose legal permissions have expired. Pioneering efforts apply to services for substance abusers. With Norwegian examples, unpredictability is demonstrated for institutional and drop-in services. The second part of the article analyses different strategies for facilitating diaconal actors: the Danish so-called “in-house” system, and Norwegian and Swedish public procurement legislation that allows reservation for non-profit actors. Within public procurement, defining certain services as Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI) is an option, underutilized by Norway and Sweden. Finally, a draft directive on European cross-border associations (ECBA), including religious associations, is explained. By reviewing policy documents, legislation, court rulings, and adopted and draft EU directives and regulations, the article’s overall conclusions are: the services to undocumented migrants have not affected the overall relationships between diaconal actors and political authorities, and starting such services is not a radical shift for diaconal actors. Moreover, Denmark provides the greatest predictability for non-profit actors. Full article

This study redefines Christian spirituality as an ontological transformation realized through participation in the divine speech acts of God, articulated as the perlocutionary presence of Christ. Moving beyond dominant approaches that emphasize moral formation, psychological experience, or ritual practice, the article situates spirituality within the linguistic and ontological dynamics attested in Scripture and early Christian tradition. Drawing on speech act theory as developed by J. L. Austin and John Searle, alongside theological interpretations by Nicholas Wolterstorff and Kevin Vanhoozer, the study argues that divine speech operates as a performative event that effects real transformation. Methodologically, it examines biblical narratives of naming, revelation, forgiveness, and healing as instances of performative divine discourse, and engages patristic and monastic sources—including Athanasius, Augustine, and early monastic rules—to demonstrate how early Christian spirituality was understood as participatory formation through the Word. The article proposes an interpretive framework structured by language, action, and being, in which the presence of Christ is understood not as a static metaphysical state but as a transformative event enacted through divine speech. It concludes that this ontological reconfiguration offers a constructive bridge between ancient Christian spirituality and contemporary theological reflection. Full article

How can chaplaincy respond to the existential concerns of people who face climate change in their daily life as activists? We address this question by researching a chaplain-led intervention in the Netherlands called the “Climate Sanctuary”, based on The Work That Reconnects. The study comprised a mixed-methods pre- and post-survey. Seventy-three participants took part in the study. Before the intervention, participants indicated that they were mostly concerned about the effects of, and the lack of urgency in taking measures against, climate change. This was accompanied by emotions of anger/outrage, powerlessness, despair, grief and anxiety. After the intervention, participants mentioned that the Climate Sanctuary provided them with sources of strength. Moreover, they were better able to deal with their emotions: there was a statistically significant decrease in anger/outrage (Z = −2.012, p = 0.044), powerlessness (Z = −2.247, p = 0.025) and insecurity (Z = −2.044, p = 0.041). Thirdly, they found peers and, fourthly, time for reflection. The results show that chaplains can play a role regarding climate change in providing a sanctuary for people in which they are acknowledged in their suffering and can explore and deepen their relationship with a climate-changed world, build community and experience renewed hope as the ability to go on. Full article

While the Bible’s stories are some of the most enduring in human history, they find increasing difficulty staying relevant, especially to young people in a secular context. How do contemporary youngsters relate to Bible stories? We exposed N = 32 Flemish, college-aged media users, divided into four focus groups of 7–10 participants (each meeting twice for a total of eight focus group discussions), to the same Bible story in three different media forms: text, video, and videogame. In these discussions, participants related the story to their own lives in various ways (whether new or familiar to them), relating it to their contemporary cultural context in three different ways. Some ‘Relativized’ the story as similar to contemporary fictional media narratives. Others ‘Perennialized’ by assuming an underlying, universal story from which all these stories originate—whether Biblical or contemporary. Others ‘Hierarchized’ the Bible as originatory, or even as a repository of stories from which all Western stories take their meaning. Within its specific cultural context, our analysis of this sample contributes a situated, empirically grounded example to the literature of “deep mediatization,” suggesting that the deep mediatization of religion encourages a ‘content-ification’ of Biblical narratives, making them comparable to other media content, while also placing pressure on their particular religious, sacred and authoritative status. Full article

This article explores the methodological and theological implications of beginning empirical ecclesiological research not with the church, but with the Kingdom of God. Drawing on Jürgen Moltmann’s eschatological epistemology, it develops two core concepts—reversal and order—to argue that knowledge of the Kingdom arises not through detached observation but through communal, attentive participation in lived reality. Using “experiences of abundance” as an operationalisation of the Kingdom, the article examines how this shift in starting point reshapes empirical ecclesiology by emphasizing discernment as an essential methodological practice. Situated within ongoing debates on ethnographic theology and qualitative approaches, the article contends that empirical research serves as a means of being led into theological knowledge rather than producing it. It concludes that ecclesiology must have a receptive attitude and participative methodology, grounded in concrete life where the Kingdom’s reality becomes perceptible. Full article

This paper examines the Christian Reformed Church’s (CRC) ministry in Harlem under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Eugene Callender, the denomination’s first Black minister. Drawing on archival materials and theological analysis, it traces the formation of the Mid-Harlem Community Parish and situates it within the broader historical and cultural dynamics of 1950s New York. Central to the study is the Reformed theological framework of the “already, but not yet” kingdom—a vision that shaped Callender’s integrated approach to evangelism, justice, and community-building. By holding together spiritual renewal and social engagement, Callender’s ministry offered a compelling model of faithful Christian witness in a fractured world. Full article

This paper investigates two central themes of contemporary transhumanism—human enhancement and artificial intelligence—from the perspective of Classical Islamic Philosophical Ethics (CIPE). First, it reconstructs the metaphysical framework and ethical orientation of CIPE through an analysis of its major representatives. Second, it examines the concept of enhancement in transhumanist thought in light of the metaphysical assumptions and ethical principles of this tradition. The analysis argues that although transhumanist enhancement theory generates significant tensions with classical philosophical conceptions of human nature, it can nevertheless be interpreted as compatible with certain premises of CIPE when understood within a broader framework of human perfection, intellectual development, and the harmony of body and soul. Building on this discussion, the paper further argues that CIPE offers valuable insights into contemporary debates concerning the topics of enhancement and artificial intelligence. In particular, it highlights the importance of harmony, integrity, and the reinterpretation of traditional philosophical concepts in response to emerging technological challenges. Overall, the paper seeks to contribute to discussions on transhumanism from within the Islamic intellectual tradition. It also aims to demonstrate the possibility of a middle path between the rejection of transhumanism on the basis of classical philosophy and its uncritical acceptance, thereby opening new avenues for dialogue between ancient philosophical traditions and contemporary technological developments. Full article

Over the past two or three centuries, some influential scientists and theologians have claimed the mantle of science to promote human inequality. They have achieved this by arguing that science provides support for racism, eugenics, and even euthanasia. Scientific racists not only claimed that science demonstrated the inequality of the human races, but also argued that the extermination of allegedly inferior human races was a natural, inescapable process. The eugenics and euthanasia movements have claimed that people with some disabilities are inferior, and thus, should be restricted from reproducing or even killed. The Nazi regime committed horrific atrocities in the name of these allegedly scientific ideas. Since the mid-twentieth century, most people in Western societies have rejected racism and compulsory eugenics and euthanasia. However, some prominent intellectuals are once again insisting that science demonstrates human inequality, and they do not consider killing those deemed inferior to be immoral. As Western culture becomes increasingly secular, religious voices are having less impact in countering these views. Full article

Theology and science has, for traditional sciences, been a two way street. It should be no surprise then that foundational issues in semantic information theory and AI may provide insights into religious dogmas: in this case, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. In the early days of information theory and AI, Donald M. Mackay developed two particular theories based on his research in these domains: complementarityand logical indeterminism. Each of these gives insight to the nature and behaviour of agents (artificial and natural). He also applied these theories to provide further understanding of different aspects of the Trinity. In this paper, we will see how extended and corrected versions of these can provide an understanding of why the Godhead must be multi-personal. Complementarity gives an illustrative model of the Godhead given that He is triune, whereas modal indeterminism shows why incarnation requires multi-personality (the economic Trinity). Here, we also extend the analysis to the ontological Trinity and argue that modal indeterminism also necessitates that each individual person of the Godhead cannot be absolutely omniscient (but only omniscient after their Person): only the Godhead can be absolutely omniscient. This has implications for the general relation between the persons of the Trinity, and suggests that absolute omniscience requires the unity of classical theism. Full article

This essay offers a critical reading of Karen Barad’s and Heinrich Päs’ interpretations of quantum mechanics, using a Categorial Differentiation approach to science and religion, which is inspired by Wittgenstein and van Fraassen. Barad and Päs are ontological realists, but their philosophies of quantum mechanics depart from what I call scientistic realist interpretations of quantum mechanics, which are mainstream in the analytic philosophy of physics. After an overview of the ontological turn in the philosophy of quantum mechanics and explaining the basic difference between scientistic and existential kinds of realism, I examine the central features of Barad’s agential realism and Päs’ quantum monism. The Categorial Differentiation approach, which offers a normative perspective on the relationship between science and religion, is introduced, and its relevance for the philosophy (and theology) of quantum mechanics is explained. I conclude the essay with a critical analysis of Barad’s and Päs’ interpretations from this Wittgensteinian perspective, focusing on the ways in which they relate the science of quantum mechanics with their respective existential–moral visions. Full article

In this article, we aim to examine the companions’ understanding of religion, as well as the transformations it underwent in later periods, by analyzing hadiths transmitted through the verbal form “amara” (he commanded), used when reporting the statements of the Prophet, and those conveyed in the passive form “umirnā” (we were commanded). The companions (sahāba) are regarded as the most distinguished among Muslims for their proper understanding and implementation of Islam, as they directly witnessed the revelation of the Qur’anic verses and the occasions when the hadiths were uttered. For this reason, their understanding of religion and their religious practices have been highly valued by subsequent generations, to the extent that the concept of qawl al-ṣaḥābī (the statement of a companion) has even been considered a source of religion. In this study, the subject will be addressed through selected examples drawn from al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, widely regarded as containing the most authentic hadiths. We will attempt to demonstrate that the Prophet’s commands and recommendations concerning various domains, such as acts of worship, social ethics, and public order, are predominantly transmitted through the verbal form “amara”, and that in narrating these reports, the companions prioritized and intended moral encouragement and guidance rather than a strictly normative purpose. Accordingly, the study approaches transmission forms not merely as technical means of narration, but also as meaningful structures that carry the companions’ understanding of religion. In this way, it seeks to reveal the perspectives from which the companions approached the commands and recommendations of the Prophet. Full article

This study analyses the Reformed liturgy as a site of ritual contestation that both shapes and facilitates the reconstruction and transformation of gender roles and identities in African contexts. Rooted in genealogical and decolonial scholarship, it examines how a ministry, long-reformed yet fundamentally integral to African-congregational communities, continues to express masculine forms of agency already present in reformed worship that influence perceptions of power, belonging, and identity. The emphasis is on Reformed communities in Southern Africa, where the arrangements of liturgical practices, preaching, eldership, sacramental administration, and life-cycle rites persist in grappling with a colonial past from an African epistemological perspective. This study examines the intersections of baptism, marriage, funerals, and ordination with customary rites such as lobola (bridewealth), initiation, and ancestor veneration, drawing on liturgical theology, ritual studies, and African gender scholarship to reveal both reproductive and resistant dynamics while simultaneously reshaping a new order within these practices. This article examines the ways in which worship facilitates continuity, rupture, and transformation within African gender identities, while seeking to situate Reformed liturgy within an African context of ritual ecologies rather than to contrast them. This approach may enhance decolonial discourse by illuminating contemporary discussions on liturgical studies and gender. Full article